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I’ve been gone for over two weeks and by my calculations my bluebirds should have fledge yesterday so I careful opened the box and there they were. One jumped ship and I put him back in and then another jumped ship. I wadded up a sticky note that I had with me in the hole. Tall grasses back there and so it was almost impossible to find him. Finally I did. Put him back in and was hoping my hubby saw me way back there but he never did so I ran to the house hoping my sticky note wadded up stayed in, got a dish rag and stuffed it in the hole.
Now there’s a dee hole reducer on it. Gin (or whoever)…will that work? I’m thinking it will….keep them in and let the parents feed them.
I hate premature fledging!Tammy
Tammy, that had to be a nightmare! Lucky you had a sticky note with you. Wishing you good luck.
Judy-Michigan
Thanks. In all these years this is my third time that this has happened. It’s a nightmare. Once they know they can leave, you can not keep them in. Walking back there right now to watch and see if they are feeding them. I think another day will be sufficient.
Tammy
Yep Tammy. A 1.25″ hole should keep them in and let the adults feed them. Good luck!
Meanwhile, I just checked the backyard box and what do I find? A cowbird in there with the white eggs. Ugh! Believe me it’s a standard 1.5″ entrance hole. Well that egg is gone now. I brought it in to scramble it a bit and it broke. Hope she doesn’t go back in checking.
Gin
Atlanta, GAYep. It was kind of small.
The better news is that she laid a fourth white egg today. This pair seems pretty attentive but some slim cowbird slipped in anyway. Grrr.
Rats, Tammy. I hijacked your thread.
What’s going on with your chicks?Gin
Atlanta, GAHijack away. The 1 1/4 inch hole reducer did not work. I went back the next morning and put some mealworms out there and she was feeding some in the field and some in a tree way in the back. They all somehow got out. Weird, huh? Oh well. They were only a day away from being ready so I hope they fared well. I can’t let it bother me.
I haven’t had white eggs since that one female years ago that ended up breaking her jaw somehow.Tammy
Tammy
I found an early fledger on the ground last year. (Turned out a Wren killed her siblings in the box) after I figured out the situation- I collected the little one and returned it to the box, minus the siblings. But he hopped right back out, even though he couldn’t yet fly, before mom and dad could find him. (He survived just fine)
So you are right- I guess once they leave, they wont stay!
I am curious though… does your nest box door open up or down? It is my biggest pet peeve-supposed dedicated “bluebird” boxes that open at the bottom. I modify all of my boxes to open top down for just that reason. You can carefully peek without escapees jumping ship.Chris
Rochester, NYN
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